Wendy Williams Describes ‘Pandemonium’ of On-Air Collapse

While dressed as the Statue of Liberty for Halloween, and at the top of a costume-judgment segment, Williams became visibly uncomfortable. In an instant, panic set into her face, and a moment later, she fell, which she has since explained — in spite of reports to the contrary — was no gag.

“First of all, I was trending all day — fabulous,” she said in jest before getting serious. “But a lot of people thought that was a joke. No, that was a not a joke. I don’t want to fall. I’m a tall woman, and it’s a long way down. I’m also a woman of a particular age, and I’m not trying to break anything. Also I don’t do stunts and jokes for you like that. I don’t need that.”

“It was scary,” she continued as tears began to set in. “It was really scary. It was so scary, all I could think of in the middle of the scare was, ‘Don’t pull the podium over on you, because that’ll make it worse.'"

Williams said her husband emerged to eventually pull her backstage, and after running some tests, experts concluded she wasn't in medical danger.

“My blood pressure was fine, my heart rate was fine, everything was fine,” she said. “I’m a 53-year-old middle-aged woman going through what middle-aged women go through, if you know what I mean. The costume got hot. Right before passing out, I felt like I was in the middle of a campfire.”

Finally, Williams thanked viewers for their support, and "even the haters, because you motivate me."